Large vehicles — New York Permit Test
Large vehicles on the New York permit test — 9 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
In more than 60 percent of all fatal crashes that involve cars and big trucks the car driver, rather than the truck driver, contributes to the cause of the crash, and four out of five times it is the car driver who is killed.
The car driver usually causes it and usually pays for it. Both halves are worth knowing.
In more than 60 percent of all fatal crashes that involve cars and big trucks, the car driver, not the truck driver, contributes to the cause of the traffic crash.
The bigger a large truck, recreational vehicle or bus is, the bigger their blind spots, the longer it takes them to stop, the more room they need to maneuver, and the longer it takes an automobile to pass them.
Size changes four things at once. A big vehicle is not a car with more metal.
Large trucks, recreational vehicles and buses are not big cars.
Large vehicles have deep blind spots behind them and larger blind spots on both sides than cars do, and tractors with long hoods can have a blind spot of 20 feet in front of the vehicle.
There is a car-sized hole in front of a long-hooded truck. Cutting in lands in it.
Tractors with long hoods can have a blind spot of 20 feet in front of the vehicle.
If a driver drives in the side blind spots of a large vehicle they cannot be seen by that driver, and remaining next to the vehicle can make it difficult for the driver to avoid a dangerous situation.
Sitting alongside a truck leaves it nowhere to go if it has to swerve.
Large vehicles have large blind spots on both sides. If you drive in these blind spots, you cannot be seen by the driver.
If a driver remains in the back blind spot of a large vehicle they increase the chance of a crash, because the other driver cannot see their car and their own view of other traffic will be blocked.
Tucked in behind a trailer you are invisible and you can see nothing yourself.
Blind Spots in Back If you remain in the back blind spot of a large vehicle, you increase the chance of a crash.
Large vehicles are not as maneuverable as cars, they take longer to stop and to accelerate, and they often need to move wide to make their turns.
A truck needs the width of two lanes to get round a corner.
You should avoid these “no zones.” Large vehicles are not as maneuverable as cars.
A driver can reduce the chance of a collision with a large vehicle by not cutting abruptly in front of it, and when passing not pulling in front of it unless they can see the whole front of the vehicle in their mirror.
A truck cannot stop for a car that appears a few feet in front of it.
Do not cut abruptly in front of the large vehicle; when you exit, take a few additional seconds to decrease speed and exit behind it
Because trucks make wide right turns they move to the left before they turn right, so a driver should pay close attention to the turn signals.
A truck swinging left may be about to turn right across you. The signal says which.
Because trucks make wide right turns, they move to the left before they turn right.
A driver should not delay near a large vehicle, because they may not be visible to the driver in the wide area the truck needs for making a turn.
The area a truck sweeps through is large and mostly unseen. Lingering in it is the risk.
Do not delay near a large vehicle. You may not be visible to the driver in the wide area the truck needs for making a turn.
On the test
In what share of fatal car and truck crashes does the car driver contribute to the cause?
60 percent. The car driver usually causes it and usually pays for it. Both halves are worth knowing. New York State Driver's Manual, p.74: “In more than 60 percent of all fatal crashes that involve cars and big trucks, the car driver, not the truck driver, contributes to the cause of the traffic crash.”
How this works
Most practice tests hand you a bank of questions and leave the manual somewhere else. This one puts them together.
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Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against New York State Driver's Manual, published by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-15.